Outdoor Retailer: Marmot MemBrain Strata

Marmot is introducing a new “2.5 layer” version of the company’s MemBrain waterproof-breathable laminate. Dubbed MemBrain Strata, the new laminate does away with the inner protective layer of fabric that’s typically required to protect the waterproof membrane. Instead, Marmot uses a thin “half layer” of printed-on material to do the job usually done by a third layer of fabric.

The result is an astonishingly lightweight finished product. Membrane Strata will appear in two jackets for spring 2009: the women’s Crystalline Jacket will weigh in at just 6 oz., and the men’s Mica at 6.5 oz. The jackets resemble a light wind shirt in both feel and look (the white version is somewhat see-through), but offer full waterproof-breathable protection. Both jackets will retail for $130.